title: The synergistic anticancer effect of artesunate combined with allicin in osteosarcoma cell line in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Artesunate, extracted from Artemisia annua, has been proven to have anti-cancer potential. Allicin, diallyl thiosulfinate, the main biologically active compound derived from garlic, is also of interest in cancer treatment research. This object of this report was to document synergistic effects of artesunate combined with allicin on osteosarcoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  After treatment with artesunate and allicin at various concentrations, the viability of osteosarcoma cells was analyzed by MTT method, with assessment of invasion and motility, colony formation and apoptosis. Western Blotting was performed to determine the expression of caspase-3/9, and activity was also detected after drug treatment. Moreover, in a nude mouse model established with orthotopic xenograft tumors, tumor weight and volume were monitored after drug administration via the intraperitoneal (i.p.) route.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The viability of osteosarcoma cells in the combination group was significantly decreased in a concentration and time dependent manner; moreover, invasion, motility and colony formation ability were significantly suppressed and the apoptotic rate was significantly increased through caspase-3/9 expression and activity enhancement in the combination group. Furthermore, suppression of tumor growth was evident in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicated that artesunate and allicin in combination exert synergistic effects on osteosarcoma cell proliferation and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Wenling City Chinese Medicine Hospital, Wenling, Zhejiang, China E-mail : wei_jiang2@126.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jing-Peng
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Lin-Yi
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077332:Artesunate; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004220:Disulfides; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D000975:Antioxidants; D037621:Artemisinins; D004220:Disulfides; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; C006452:allicin; D000077332:Artesunate; D020169:Caspases